Streambank Stabilization

The City Engineer needed to rehab and stabilize an eroded section of Heath Creek behind a medical facility. The eroding banks were encroaching on the parking lot of the medical facility. The erosion had become so severe that the parking lot was at risk of falling into the Heath Creek.

The site was originally designed with eight tiers of gabion baskets stacked on top of each other with passive and active tieback anchors to stabilize the streambank. The engineer's cost estimates were nearly $800,000 and this amount exceeded the City's budget. The City Engineer sought a permanent solution that was within the City's budget.

The engineer developed a solution that incorporated vegetated armoring. In order to reduce the slope ratio from a 1:1 to a 1.5:1, the engineer incorporated a Scourlok toe wall. To armor the 1.5:1 slope above the toe wall, the engineer specified Flexamat Plus. Flexamat Plus is a concrete erosion mat that allows vegetation growth to establish within the armor. The concrete mat is packaged in roll, making installing the material simple and efficient.

The solution was 1/3rd the initial cost estimates for the gabion wall and was a solution the City could afford. Along with saving the City considerable funds, the streambank was stabilized with a more environmentally friendly solution.